Knee Pain Treatment in Encinitas

Are you looking for knee pain treatment in Encinitas? We have over 20 years of experience caring for patients with pain in the knee(s).

According to the American Osteopathic Association, “Knee pain is the number two cause of chronic pain; more than one-third of Americans report being affected by knee pain.” Whether the pain is temporary or chronic, it might be time to see a knee pain specialist in Encinitas.

If you’re wondering how and why knee pain happens, here are six surprising causes:

1. A sedentary lifestyle. You might simply be someone who spends a lot of time at a desk. It makes sense that if you fail to use something like your leg muscles, they will get weak and weak legs lead to knee injuries due to improper alignment, especially if you also have bad posture.

2. Cold weather. Studies have shown cold weather can aggravate knee pain. It might be the falling barometric pressure or perhaps a tendency to be less active during colder, winter months. The end result is the same; increased swelling and stiffening of muscles and joints.

3. Bursitis. This is also known as preacher’s knee. Bursa is a fluid filled sac that cushions muscles, tendons and bones. Repetitive bending and kneeling puts an enormous amount of pressure on your knees, resulting in inflammation of the bursa. Joint pain, tenderness and swelling in the knee are signs you may have it.

4. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. An easier way to say this is runner’s knee. Problems with your feet due to improper footwear, muscle imbalances and repetitive stresses like the constant impact that runners put their bodies through can deeply impact the joint and tissues of the knee. You might experience pain behind or around the knee cap that’s worse going downhill. Also, your knee might feel like it is grinding or popping.

5. Not getting enough sleep. If you’re tired, you’re more likely to make mistakes in how you land and take off when moving or jumping. It’s also easy to misjudge distances and jerk your body in a way that is awkward. It’s a fact that athletes who get eight hours of sleep or more are 68% less likely to get injured than athletes who sleep less.

6. It’s not the knee. Believe it or not, the pain might not be coming from the knee after all. This is called “referred” pain because even though the pain seems located in the knee, it might actually be reflected from your ankle, foot or hip joints. The only way to know for sure is to see a specialist.

There is an Affordable, Drug-free Solution

Physical therapist directed treatment has been proven to be effective for a number of knee pain diagnoses as mentioned above. Patellofemoral pain is common in the 12-35 y.o. age range and physical therapy can help with this condition. Here’s the reference:

In conclusion, this randomized, double-blinded, placebocontrolled trial provided evidence to support the use of a physical therapy regimen in the short-term management of patellofemoral pain. Further studies could focus on the long-term benefits of physical therapy for this condition and the relative effectiveness of this treatment regimen compared with alternative approaches.Click here for the complete reference.

Osteoarthritis is also a common in seniors and physical therapy often is as good as surgery.

Bottom Line – Try Us First.

Seeing one of our physical therapists could save you a bunch of time, money, side effects, and might help you avoid surgery.

For more information on knee pain, causes of knee pain and treatment, don’t hesitate to give us a call.